Posts Tagged ‘energy drinks’

Summer’s here and silly season has officially been declared on cold drinks, with the industry releasing the latest in novelty products to a market thirsty for outlandish new inventions. While jelly drinks are still riding high, Japan’s food scientists have been busy dreaming up new gimmicks in order to conquer the competition. Here’s our pick of the bunch:

Haro Haro Pocho Pochi Cola from Mini Stop

Energy Shaker from Meiji is a twist on the standard jelly drink: the wobbly stuff is actually good for you, containing minerals, vitamins and amino acids. Like a typical jelly drink, you have to shake it around before drinking to break up the jelly into easily digestible pieces. The drink is also high in caffeine and is designed as a pick-me-up for worn out businessmen or budding athletes, though we’re betting it’s more popular with the former demographic.

Caffeine junkies can also get their kicks from imbibing Pepsi Strong Shot, a new product that does what it says on the can. Not only does it have extra caffeine but it’s also more carbonated than your average Pepsi. The warning on top of the can instructs you to refrain from drinking it immediately; apparently if you don’t wait 15 seconds the sheer fizziness of the beverage will overwhelm you, though what it actually does is just make you burp a awful lot. You also have to be careful where you open it so you don’t, ahem, froth over other people.

While Energy Shaker and Strong Shot are strong contenders for the crown of most outrageous concoction, Mini Stop’s Haro Haro Pochi Pochi Cola is the flamboyant queen of the new beverage releases. Pochi Pochi is an onomatopoeic word to denote the popping sensation you feel in your mouth when you imbibe the tiny candy pieces contained within this drink, but the excitement doesn’t stop there. On top of the cola is a layer of jelly and on top of that a swirl of ice cream. It costs ¥268 and is 238 calories, more than twice the calories contained in a Energy Shaker. Bring it on!

At Japan’s first Red Bull Box Cart Race, held Oct. 11 in Odaiba, Tokyo, 78 box carts battled it out on the incline of Yumeno-obashi, competing for a grand prize of ¥1,000,000.

Not surprisingly for an energy drink, Red Bull has poured a lot of marketing dollars into the sponsorship of extreme sports and race-related events. Called Soap Box Races oversease, it would appear that wipeouts are just as important as winners. While the race judges here, led by actor Koichi Iwaki, did have to factor in course times and vehicle performance into their final scores, the event was less about white-knuckle adrenalin and more about homespun humor and creativity. In that respect, everyone was a winner.

While spring in Japan might seem like a time for cherry blossoms and warm weather, for allergy sufferers it means hay fever and everything that comes with it. This year in particular, Japan seem to be unfairly hit by a harsh combination of high pollen counts along with the particle-laden smog (PM2.5). Experts say […]

Spring is the sweetest time of the year, and Mister Donut is celebrating with its Strawberry Donut Fes. From now until May, the dessert chain will have a special selection of five sugary sweets for customers, including a custard-filled strawberry croissant donut and a strawberry and whip pie. The standout of the collection though is […]